Greenhouse Gas Emissions - International Maritime Organization (IMO)

Posted October 26, 2010 - IMO

Although international shipping is the most energy efficient mode of mass transport and only a modest contributor to overall carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions, a global approach to further improve its energy efficiency and effective emission control is needed as sea transport will continue growing apace with world trade. IMO has developed specific technical and operational efficiency measures and a work plan for market-based mechanisms is culminating in 2011.
As already acknowledged by the Kyoto Protocol, CO2 emissions from international shipping cannot be attributed to any particular national economy due to its global activities and complex operation. Therefore, IMO has been energetically pursuing the limitation and reduction of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from international shipping, in recognition of the magnitude of the climate change challenge and the intense focus on this topic.
According to the Second IMO GHG Study 2009, (http://www5.imo.org/SharePoint/mainframe.asp?topic_id=1823),which is the most comprehensive and authoritative assessment of the level of GHG emitted by ships, international shipping was estimated to have emitted 870 million tonnes, or about 2.7% of the global man-made emissions of CO2 in 2007. Exhaust gases are the primary source of GHG emissions from ships and carbon dioxide is the most important GHG, both in terms of quantity and of global warming potential.
Complete Text at:
http://www.imo.org/OurWork/Environment/PollutionPrevention/AirPollution/Pages/GHG-Emissions.aspx

MHI makes moves to meet NOx emission regulations - Baird Maritime

Posted - October 21, 2010 - Baird Maritime

Japan: Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) will install testing equipment for two-stroke, low-speed marine diesel engines at the company's Kobe Shipyard and Machinery Works in Hyogo, Japan.
Installation is slated for completion in the spring of 2012. The testing system will be used for verification of various elemental technologies to satisfy the Tier III nitrogen oxide (NOx) emission standards of the International Maritime Organization (IMO).
Those standards require operators of marine diesel engines installed on ships constructed on or after January 1, 2016 and operating in emissions-controlled areas to reduce NOx emissions by about 80 percent from the current Tier I regulated level.
The 4UE-X3 testing system will be manufactured based on MHI's Mitsubishi-UE Diesel Engine UEC60LSE-Eco model, an electronically controlled 600 millimeter cylinder-bore four-cylinder engine.

Complete Story at:
http://www.bairdmaritime.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=8275:mhi-makes-moves-to-meet-nox-emission-regulations&catid=76:marine-environment&Itemid=212

Shipping lines to voluntarily cut emissions in Hong Kong - Maritime Connector

Posted - October 19, 2010 - Maritime Connector

A dozen of the world's largest container shipping lines have agreed to switch voluntarily to low sulfur fuel while at port in Hong Kong, a media report said Saturday.
The fuel is more expensive, but emits less sulfur oxide gases, which cause acid rain and contribute to particulate pollution.
The firms have also urged the Hong Kong government to make the less-polluting fuel compulsory, the South China Morning Post reported.
Currently, the maximum sulfur level worldwide in marine diesel is set at 4.5 per cent by the International Maritime Organization (IMO), and set to drop to 0.5 per cent by 2020.
But 13 member firms of the Hong Kong Liner Shipping Association have agreed to switch to fuel with levels of only 0.5 to 1 per cent sulfur while their ships are berthed at Kwai Chung port, starting January 1.
Complete Story at:
http://www.maritime-connector.com/NewsDetails/10157/lang/English/Shipping-lines-to-voluntarily-cut-emissions-in-Hong-Kong.wshtml

MHI Desings Environmentally Friendly Container Vessel to Reduce CO2 Emissions by 35% - Hellenic Shipping News Worldwide

Posted October 15, 2010 - Hellenic Shipping News Worldwide

Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd. (MHI) has completed the conceptual design of the "MALS-14000CS," container vessel that will contribute to the prevention of global warming. The MALS-14000CS adopts the company's proprietary Mitsubishi Air Lubrication System (MALS), which reduces frictional resistance between the vessel hull and seawater using air bubbles at the vessel bottom produced by air. Incorporating the MALS, along with today's most advanced high-efficiency ship hull design and propulsion system, the vessel will be capable of reducing emissions of carbon dioxide (CO2), a major greenhouse gas (GHG), by 35% compared with container carriers of conventional design.
MHI has already installed the MALS on the "YAMATAI," a module carrier operated by NYK-Hinode Line, Ltd., a subsidiary of Nippon Yusen Kaisha (NYK Line), and is verifying its CO2 reduction efficiency, expecting approximately 10% cut. This marked the world's first application of an air-blow type ALS system on an ocean-going vessel for permanent use; the MALS-14000CS signifies the second application of MALS technology.
The MALS-14000CS is designed to realize a 10% reduction in CO2 emissions through the MALS. The ship design, featuring a new high-performance hull form, places the bridge relatively forward, exhaust funnels at the stern, and additional container space under the accommodation quarter. The new ship design, providing increased container carrying capacity, coupled with a two-engine, two-shaft propulsion system, enables a reduction in CO2 emissions by 24%. Combined with another 5% reduction enabled by the electronically controlled diesel engine and waste heat recovery system, the MALS-14000CS achieves an overall 35% cut in CO2 emissions*4. The MALS-14000CS is designed to be further environmentally friendly through installation of a SOx scrubber to remove sulfur oxide (SOx) from flue gas and a ballast water treatment system.

Complete Story at:
http://www.hellenicshippingnews.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=125565&Itemid=79

Carriers rise to the emissions challenge in HK - Maritime Professional

Posted October 14, 2010 - Maritime Professional

Container lines’ penchant for acting collectively could be used as a force for good when it comes to curbing ship emissions in Asia.
Twenty of the major carriers calling at Hong Kong are apparently going to follow Maersk and APL's lead and change to cleaner fuel while in port, according to reports.
This will certainly be good news for the people living in the heavily populated areas crammed up against the port and along the channel.
Maersk made its low sulfur decision following consultations with Hong Kong’s Civic Exchange, a group promoting cleaner air (among other issues). APL soon jumped on the green wagon and it now seems the rest of the lines will soon also be on board.
But this has miffed Hong Kong-based OOCL, according to the South China Morning Post. There was apparently a “gentleman’s agreement” that the switch to cleaner low sulfur fuel would be made collectively on January 1, but Maersk and APL jumped the gun.
Whether that was the case or not, it is a welcome move by the shipping industry, even if some feelings were hurt. When it comes to clean air, the sooner the better.
A third of the emissions measured in the Kwai Chung port area by the city’s Environmental Protection Department are from ocean vessels and switching from the heavily polluting diesel bunker fuel to a cleaner version will improve the lives of hundreds of thousands of people in the area.
It may also spur other ports across Asia to encourage lines to adopt the same practice. When Maersk made the announcement that it was switching to clean fuel in Hong Kong the carrier said the move would cost it US$1 million a year. Asked whether the line would use low sulfur fuel in all Asian ports, the Danish giant said it would be at a competitive disadvantage unless all the lines followed suit.
So there is the challenge for the carriers. Prove that your drive to cut down on harmful emissions is more than just pretty words on a corporate social responsibility brochure and extend the low sulfur fuel switch to all Asian ports.
And please don’t slap on a “Clean Bunker Fuel Adjustment Surcharge”. That would just be too much.

Story found at:
http://maritimeprofessional.net/Blogs/Far-East-Maritime/October-2010/Carriers-rise-to-the-emissions-challenge-in-HK.aspx
http://maritimeprofessional.net/Blogs/Far-East-Maritime/October-2010/Carriers-rise-to-the-emissions-challenge-in-HK.aspx

Regulations on Shipping Emissions Face Setback at London Meeting - * ICTSD

Posted - October 11, 2010 - ICTSD - Bridges Trade BioRes • Volume 10 • Number 18

Negotiations to establish energy efficiency requirements to help slash carbon emissions from shipping at the 61st meeting of the International Marine Organization’s Marine Environment Protection Committee (IMO MEPC) ended in failure last week with parties unable to reach consensus.
The purpose of the 27 September-1 October meeting in London, England was to continue with progress made at its last meeting in March 2010, where countries had endorsed a package of efficiency standards on the Energy Efficiency Design Index (EEDI) and Ships Energy Efficiency Management Plans (SEEMP). But the week-long meeting encountered stumbling blocks primarily over the issue of fair treatment for shipping countries in the developing world.
Under the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), the shipping and aviation sectors have been charged with establishing their own emissions-cutting mechanisms. However, the industries have thus-far been unable to agree upon an appropriate forum or set of rules. The UN-linked IMO has emerged as the front-runner for establishing and enforcing carbon reduction rules, but consensus on what these rules are or how they will be enforced remains elusive.

Complete Copyrighted story at:
http://ictsd.org/i/news/biores/86349/

Analysis: Market measures a long haul for shipping - Carbonpositive

Posted - October 7, 2010 - Carbonpositive

The time frame for any market-based system to lower greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in shipping appears to have stretched following the IMO’s marine environment protection committee (MEPC) meeting in London last week. A combination of system design challenges, distrust of market-based measures and a wider political dispute over the equity of international climate change action puts significant obstacles in the way of implementation.
If the debate last week on energy efficiency design measures is anything to go by, it does not augur well for the next stage of GHG measures, market-based measures (MBMs) in the form of emissions trading or bunker levy programmers. An expert group presented an exhaustive 300-page report to MEPC comparing and analyzing a range of MBM proposals for emissions trading and bunker levies. It concluded however that more information is needed on their workings before final recommendations can be reached.
MEPC did resolve that an inter-sessional working group will now be convened to take over the reins from the expert group and will meet next March before reporting to MEPC 62 in July. This is a concrete step forward and more progress than many expected on MBMs, said Dr Anne Marie Warris, environmental advisor at Lloyds Register and who also served in the expert group.

Complete story at:
http://www.carbonpositive.net/viewarticle.aspx?articleID=2134

IMO environment meeting discusses GHG measures for new ships - Hellenic Shipping News Worldwide

Posted - Wednesday, 06 October 2010 - HELLENIC SHIPPING NEWS WORLDWIDE

The Marine Environment Protection Committee (MEPC) of the International Maritime Organization (IMO), meeting for its 61st session in London, made further progress in developing measures to improve the energy efficiency of ships, in order to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from international shipping. Technical and operational measures Having considered means by which technical and operational measures could be introduced in the Organization’s regulatory regime, the Committee noted the desire of some States party to MARPOL Annex VI – Regulations for the prevention of air pollution from ships to request the Secretary-General to circulate proposed amendments to that Annex, to make mandatory, for new ships, the Energy Efficiency Design Index (EEDI) and the Ship Energy Efficiency Management Plan (SEEMP)), both of which have been previously disseminated for voluntary use. The circulated draft amendments would then be considered by the Committee’s next session with a view to adoption under MARPOL Annex VI. The Committee also noted, however, that some other States did not support the circulation of such amendments.
Although decisions as to how to proceed with the next step of IMO’s climate change strategy were not reached by consensus, nevertheless the Committee made progress on all three elements of its work, namely technical, operational and market-based measures, and it is expected that further substantial progress will continue to be made at its next meeting in July next year.
The EEDI is a non-prescriptive, performance-based mechanism that leaves the choice of technologies to use in a specific ship design to the industry. As long as the required energy-efficiency level is attained, ship designers and builders would be free to use the most cost-efficient solutions for the ship to comply with the regulations.

Complete Story at:
http://www.hellenicshippingnews.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=124107&Itemid=94

IMO Criticised By Environmentalists For Lack Of Action On Shipping Pollution - Hellenic Shipping News Worldwide

Tuesday, 05 October 2010 - Hellenic Shipping News Worldwide

The not for profit, environmental law firm Earthjustice has called on the American government to unilaterally strengthen regulations governing climate change pollution from ships. After attending the recent International Maritime Organization (IMO) meeting to discuss the situation the organization is convinced the IMO is failing to make significant progress in its attempts to agree upon climate protection measures.
As a branch of the UN, IMO decisions are generally made by consensus, and the numerous proposals for reducing global warming pollution from ships which were presented at the meeting, all met with objections from developing countries including China, India, Saudi Arabia and South Africa preventing agreements being accepted.

Complete Story at:
http://www.hellenicshippingnews.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=123884&Itemid=79

Choppy waters ahead for global shipping emissions deal - Marine-news.net

Posted - October 05, 2010 - Marine-news.net

The International Maritime Organization (IMO) meeting concluded in London late last week without reaching a deal on a mechanism for cut the shipping industry's greenhouse gas emissions Further talks will be held in March, but it seems that officials have missed their last chance to reach a consensus before the start of the UN's Cancun Climate Change Summit next month.
Shipping is thought to account for around three per cent of the world's carbon emissions, but because it is not covered by the Kyoto Protocol the sector currently has no mandatory targets for cutting emissions. Last week's IMO meeting was scheduled to discuss possible technical and operational measures to reduce shipping's emissions impact, but it concluded without a deal after members failed to reach agreement on a number of controversial proposals, such as a mooted plans for a sector-wide carbon levy or emissions cap-and-trade scheme.

Complete Story at:
http://www.marine-news.net/Choppy_waters_ahead_for_global_shipping_emissions_deal-i19888.html

Shipping nations risk losing control over greenhouse gas emissions - YubaNet.com

Posted October 2, 2010 - YubaNet.com

Shipping nations are risking losing their control over maritime greenhouse gas reduction standards, global environment organization WWF warned today in the wake of another failure to reach specific agreement on curbing maritime carbon emissions.
The key environmental sub-group of the UN-linked International Maritime Organization (IMO) has just concluded a week long meeting possibly further away than ever from agreement on implementing efficiency and technology initiatives and coming up with market-based mechanisms to cut shipping emissions.
Under existing UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) agreements, the shipping and aviation sectors have been charged with coming up with mechanisms to cut emissions.
At its last meeting in March, the IMO’s Marine Environment Protection Committee (IMO MEPC) had endorsed a package of efficiency measures, specifically mandatory Energy Efficiency Design Indexes (EEDIs) and Ships Energy Efficiency Management Plans (SEEMP). But the week-long meeting just concluded has failed to reach any consensus on implementing these measures.
“Like the aviation industry, the world’s maritime nations either need to find an emissions reductions solution within the IMO framework or face the possibility of less sympathetic regulation from elsewhere,” said Dr Simon Walmsley, WWF’s observer to the IMO talks.
“The worst outcome for a global industry like shipping would be to have differing emissions reductions schemes being imposed in different places – but that is the future shipping nations are courting by failing to reach agreement in their own forum.”
The world’s shipping industry accounts for over 2.7 % of total carbon emissions, and plays an important role in the global economy, transporting over 90% of global trade.
The meeting exposed further rifts between developed and developing maritime nations and was marked by a blunt refusal by some nations to acknowledge that shipping needs to contribute substantially to the global emissions reductions needed to avoid catastrophic climate change.

Complete Story at:
http://yubanet.com/world/WWF-Shipping-nations-risk-losing-control-over-greenhouse-gas-emissions.php

Shipowner Elisabeth Grieg tells WISTA that industry needs clear regulation - Hellenic Shipping News Worldwide

Posted - October 2, 2010 - Hellenic Shipping News Worldwide

To pave the way to sustainable future. A leading shipowner has called on the maritime industry to accept the need for tough regulations to achieve sustainability, in sharp contrast to critics who warn that such moves could hamper international trade. Mrs Elisabeth Grieg, chief executive of Grieg International and chairman of the Grieg Shipping Group, declared: "We still have a long way to go before our industry actually does its relative part in creating a sustainable future - both environmentally and socially. Therefore, while some [people] focus on the burdens of rules and regulations, my message is that we cannot do without rules and regulations.
"In fact, our industry should encourage rules and regulations to force all players to adhere to some basic standards and to punish those that do not."
She was speaking during a debate at the WISTA 2010 Conference in Athens on the relevance of regulation to sustainability. Mrs Grieg said: "I sincerely believe that the shipping industry is one of the cornerstones in the infrastructure of the global community. We carry 90% of the global transportation of goods. Through exploration, production and transportation our business is essential in providing energy to a growing world market.
"We must recognize that national, regional and global regulations are justified by the absence of desired performance across the industry. There might of course from time to time be more opportunistic reasons for political interference, but there are numerous examples of areas in grave need of regulations and rules. It is - at best - a paradox that so many companies in an industry with the long-term perspectives of international shipping are making so many business decisions based on short-term considerations."

Complete Story at:
http://www.hellenicshippingnews.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=123585&Itemid=95

IMO fails to reach consensus on emissions cut plans - Reuters

Posted October 1, 2010 - Reuters - By Nina Chestney LONDON 4:21pm EDT

The International Maritime Organization (IMO) failed to reach agreement on proposals to cut carbon emissions from new ships, delegates said on Friday, adding that further talks would be held in March.
The shipping sector accounts for nearly 3 percent of global carbon dioxide emissions.
Shipping is not covered by the U.N.'s Kyoto Protocol and a new global climate treaty is still under debate, meaning the industry does not currently have any mandatory emissions laws.
As this week's IMO marine environment protection committee meeting drew to a close on Friday, delegates said there was little consensus on proposals for technical and operational measures aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions from ships.
The committee will hold another meeting from March 28 to April 1 next year to discuss a market-based mechanism for lowering emissions.
"Progress is slow but I would absolutely reject that the shipping industry is not taking this seriously," John Aitken, secretary general of industry group SEAaT, whose members include BP's and Royal Dutch Shell's shipping units, told Reuters.
Talks this week have focused on a proposal for an Energy Efficiency Design Index (EEDI) to make new vessels environmentally friendly -- put forward by Japan, Norway and the United States -- as well as a mandatory market-based mechanism.

Complete Story at:
http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE6905A520101001

MEPC considers U.S. Caribbean ECA - MarineLog

Posted October 1, 2010 - MarineLog

A proposal for a U.S. Caribbean Emission Control Area is among the items that was on the agenda for the September 27 to October 1, 2010 meeting of IMO's Marine Environment Protection Committee (MEPC).
Currently, there are two designated ECAs under Annex VI, the Baltic Sea area and the North Sea area, and a third area, the North American ECA, was adopted in March 2010, with expected entry into force in August 2011.
The area of the proposed U.S. Caribbean ECA includes waters adjacent to coasts of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. The northern and southern boundaries of the proposed area would extend roughly 50 nautical miles (nm) and 40 nm, respectively, from the territorial sea baseline of the main island of Puerto Rico. The western edge of the proposed area would generally run north-south, about half way between the Puerto Rican island of Mona and the west coast of the main island. The eastern edge of the proposed area would generally run north-south, but extend eastward through the area between the U.S. Virgin Islands and the British Virgin Islands and also eastward through the area between Saint Croix and Anguilla and Saint Kitts. The proposed ECA is bounded such that it does not extend into marine areas subject to the sovereignty, sovereign rights, or jurisdiction of any state other than the United States.

Complete Story at:
http://www.marinelog.com/DOCS/NEWSMMIX/2010oct00011.html

UK Shipping Emissions Calculation Seriously Flawed - Maritime Connector

Posted September 29, 2010 - Maritime Connector

A new report by the Tyndall center for climate change and the Sustainable Consumption Institute has found that the way in which the UK calculates carbon emissions emitted by the shipping industry is seriously flawed. The report, published just ahead of talks on introducing a shipping tax in Europe, suggests that in fact the industry could be polluting up to six times more than previously estimated, and more than aviation.
The research considers the role that the shipping sector could play in mitigating total global emissions, with a particular focus on assessing the potential for UK unilateral action.
The report begins by quantifying the scale of the climate change challenge faced, considers the role of shipping in relation to mitigation, presents and assesses a range of apportionment methods for estimating CO2 emissions from international shipping at a national scale, and quantifies the UK‘s emissions using these methods.
According to the report, the way UK authorities assess carbon emissions fail to accurately picture the real extent of pollution damage caused by shipping, as emissions are calculated by only factoring bunker fuel sold at UK ports.
According to the authors of the report, this is highly misleading as it does not accurately factor in both imports and exports, and importantly doesn’t account for fuel that is purchased at cheaper, foreign ports.

The report’s salient findings are that:

Complete Story at:
http://www.maritime-connector.com/NewsDetails/9901/lang/English/UK-Shipping-Emissions-Calculation-Seriously-Flawed.wshtml

Renewed support for the Integrated Maritime Policy - EUROPA

Press Release - September 30, 2010 European Commission

Today the European Commission put forward its proposal for continued financial support to the EU's Integrated Maritime Policy, established in 2007, for the period between 2011 and 2013. The proposal is designed to enable the Commission, Member States and maritime stakeholders to keep up the good work in favour of a sustainable use of oceans, seas and coasts. The Integrated Maritime Policy advocates an integrated approach to the management and governance of the oceans, seas and coasts, and fosters interaction between all sea-related policies in the EU. The purpose of the proposed funding, € 50 million, is to continue the work undertaken since 2007 namely to remove policy barriers, allow savings on both the EU and national budgets and unleash synergies by bridging between all policies with an impact on the sea, such as transport, fisheries, customs and marine environment protection.
Commissioner for Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Maria Damanaki said: "The Integrated Maritime Policy has changed the way we look at our seas and oceans. This budding policy has already started to deliver in a considerable number of ways; but it needs uninterrupted financial underpinning to be effective and operational during the remaining years of the current Financial Perspective (2011 to 2013)."

http://europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=IP/10/1268&format=HTML&aged=0&language=EN&guiLanguage=fr